Food & Travel...

It was only a matter of time until the term ‘eating green’ picked up speed. I’ve heard of organic, sustainable organic, and locavore, but I’m not sure, exactly which and how much of each of those ‘eating green’ entails. Are my organic free-range eggs green? What about the farmed salmon? Can I eat green and still shop at my local mega-box supermarket?

Fortunately for me, GreenDaily.com (under the Food section) has a new handy-dandy guide that explains what it means to eat green. Apparently, it’s a mix of all three (organic, etc). Some highlights:

Just because a chicken is raised organically, doesn’t mean that it lived a life that’s anything to write home about. That ‘free range’ label doesn’t guarantee that chickens actually make it outside before they end up on your plate.

Eat wild fish, all the time. Fish swim wild for a reason—farming them puts wild fish in danger, pollutes the water, and is ultimately unhealthy for us. (How unhealthy? Try mercury and dioxin.)

In the coffee aisle, or before buying chocolate, check the label to make sure that the company’s buying products the Fair Trade way—so you know that the workers who grew your coffee, cocoa beans, or banana were treated well.

Don’t buy food that’s been genetically modified or injected with growth hormones (think the bovine growth hormones that made cows produce more milk and were up for debate in January). The jury’s still out on what extra hormones or genetically modified foods do for our health, but do we really want our cows supersized before they’re turned into hamburgers?

Reading through the Eating Green guide, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. This is so much more than shopping in the organic section of the supermarket, but the overarching message remains: remember how what you eat affects the planet and yourself.

Image taken from the Green Eating Guide: http://www.greendaily.com/2008/02/07/eating-green-an-intro/